Our projects

Improving care pathways for treating otitis media (OM) in Aboriginal children

Funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, this will study improved care pathways for Aboriginal children with middle-ear infection (otitis media).

Aboriginal children are more likely to suffer from OM compared to non-indigenous children and is linked with poorer educational outcomes, social and behavioural problems, and contributes to over-representation within the health and criminal justice systems.

In partnership with three Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services spanning urban, rural and remote geographical areas, the researchers will use the WHO framework for health systems performance to map the current healthcare system for OM in Aboriginal children. Then, together with the three Aboriginal communities, co-design, implement and evaluate a new approach to identifying and treating hearing loss early and effectively.

Cochlear Implant Neurotrophin Gene Therapy (CINGT) clinical trial

This world-first, potentially life-changing clinical trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of neurotrophin gene therapy, delivered during cochlear implant surgery.

Led by UNSW, and partnering with Macquarie University, Cochlear Pty Ltd and the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC) a program of RIDBC, this is a new type of gene therapy based on a disposable electric device that steers DNA to the cells lining the cochlea just prior to the insertion of a cochlear implant.

The device encourages these cells to produce neurotrophin factors, which stimulate re-growth of the auditory nerve towards the electrodes. This has the potential to achieve louder and more natural hearing, better dynamics and pitch perception which are important for music and tonal languages.

In-human trials are currently underway.

Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss

HEAR Director, Prof Catherine McMahon is a commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss, which aims to identify ways to reduce the global burden of hearing loss.

Themes of the Commission are prevention, policy, technology, and protection, and their interactions.

Prof McMahon is the Chair of the Innovations in Hearing Health sub-group.

UN Global Hearing Co-operative to address hearing loss in low- and middle-income countries

Globally, 80% of people with hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC’s), but have poor access to hearing aids and a trained Audiologist. Led by Dr John Newall, Associate Professor Piers Dawes and Dr Rebecca Kim, this project will provide information on the hearing needs and test the benefits of low-cost pre-programmed hearing aids for people in LMIC countries.

Advances such as hearing self-testing on mobile devices, low-cost diagnostic equipment, automated processes for characterising hearing loss and ear disease, telehealth, self-fitting, and low-cost pre-programmed hearing aids all offer the potential to increase access to help for hearing loss in LMICs.

To deliver this project, Macquarie University researchers will work with a Global Hearing Co-operative network across 16 LMICs, including Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Russian Federation, Samoa, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.

Cochlear purinergic adaptation as a biomarker for vulnerability to noise-induced hearing loss

This study investigates hearing adaptation to noise stress. Studies in mice will genetically alter elements of the cochlear’s (purinergic) hearing adaptation mechanism and determine the effect on an audiometric ‘hearing adaptation signature’ to noise stress and vulnerability to noise and age-related hearing loss.

In the context of workplace noise and genetic profile, clinical studies will establish a prognostic hearing test of vulnerability to noise and age-related hearing loss.